Newtownabbey dog admitted to vets after eating suspected cannabis

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the Newtownabbey Times following the incident in Ballyduff on August 31.

She said: “I was walking my 18-month old Westie on Saturday afternoon when she ate what looked like an old bit of cake. Around 20 minutes later, she got very ill and I took her to the vets. After conducting tests, they said it looked like she had ingested cannabis.

“There were kids playing in the area and it is used by other dog walkers. It’s shocking someone would discard drugs like this.”

Commenting, Julie Dauncey, senior vet at Belfast PDSA Pet Hospital, said: “The dog was admitted in a very distressed state showing symptoms consistent with eating cannabis, which included shaking and staggering, falling over and generally being frightened.

“She needed emergency treatment that included intravenous fluids and various diagnostic tests. She was too poorly to be sent home, so was transferred to our out-of-hours service Vets Now, where she continued to receive round-the-clock care.

“Further treatment was administered throughout the night and thankfully her condition was stabilised. She returned to PDSA on Sunday morning, where she was well enough to go home, and came back on Monday for a check-up to ensure her kidneys hadn’t suffered any long term damage from the incident.”

PDSA has urged owners to speak to their vet immediately for advice if they suspect their pets have eaten something they should not have.

For further advice regarding poisons and hazards, check out PDSA’s website www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/poisons-and-hazards

Meanwhile, A PSNI spokesperson said the incident had not been reported to them.